Chromecast vs. AirPlay: how do they compare? — Can Google finally take on one of Apple's best features? — Google's new Chromecast HDMI stick is a lot of things: it's a simple new way to bring internet video to your living room after the company stumbled with Google TV …

Feds tell Web firms to turn over user account passwords — Secret demands mark escalation in Internet surveillance by the federal government through gaining access to user passwords, which are typically stored in encrypted form. — The U.S. government has demanded that major Internet …

Verizon calls on President to veto coming iPhone ban — As an import ban on Apple products gets set to take effect two weeks from now, a Verizon executive is asking the White House to take the unusual step of intervening with the U.S. trade agency that imposed the ban.

Apple's Secret Weapon: the iPhone 4 — Three-Year-Old Smartphone Propels Company's Sales in Price-Conscious Markets — Apple Inc. is known for drawing crowds with its latest and greatest technology. But one of its most potent weapons in some markets came out three years ago.

Fast Car: Uber Funding Auction Could Reach a $3.5B Valuation — Uber, the ride-logistics startup, could be valued at up to $3.5 billion in a new funding round led by TPG Capital, said multiple sources close to the discussions, which are ongoing but advanced. We had first reported that Uber was seeking the round in June.

WikiLeaks Founder Assange to Run for Australian Senate — SYDNEY, Australia — Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, formally inaugurated a new political party bearing the name of his antisecrecy organization on Thursday and declared his own unorthodox candidacy for a seat in the Australian Senate …

Apple spent $16 Billion on Apple Shares Last Quarter … Apple's share buyback program is proving to be quite a bit larger than originally conceived. — Though its original plan called for the repurchase of 10 million shares in its third fiscal quarter of 2013, Apple instead bought up 36 million shares.

Microsoft rolls out developer preview of IE11 on Windows 7 — Summary: Microsoft is making available for download immediately a test build of its IE11 browser for Windows 7, along with various new dev tools and discounts. — At Microsoft's Build conference, the IE team confirmed that Internet Explorer 11 …